From automation to agency: Prototype for self-owning intelligent buildings enabled by blockchain

While most research in human-building-interaction looks at the interaction between humans and building automation, few studies question the agency of the building itself. This paper explores how blockchain technology can be combined with intelligent buildings to achieve self-ownership and self-agency. Using a design science research approach, a blockchain-based smart meditation cabin, the “no1s1” prototype, is iteratively designed, tested and evaluated. no1s1 demonstrates that a building can autonomously manage access, finances, and operation with minimal human oversight. These findings suggest that blockchain can redefine technical system design by embedding ownership and agency into the building itself. The findings encourage further exploration into decentralized coordination mechanisms within intelligent environments, such as combining blockchain with artificial intelligence and advanced sensing environments, to rethink the coordination, ownership and agency of cyber–physical systems in the built environment.